When your brother says he's with another guy
by Setus
Summary: Rukia wonders if she had heard correctly when her brother tells her he is with another guy. One-shot


Happy New Year to all, once again I'm back with another round of rampage with the 'When your brother' series. This time I overshot my usual length of fic as compared to the previous ones, partially because I'm in a strange state of mind, and also because this entire fic was written while at work in office. Yes it took a while to get it up, but hopefully you guys will enjoy it like the previous ones.

Disclaimer: nope, I don't own anything, except for my twisted mind. That's all

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><p>I must have freaked out the guys at 4th Division when I requested to be checked into their mental ward.<p>

Hanatarou still looked catatonic in the corner, and hopefully Unohana-taicho hasn't alerted my brother yet. The entire 4th Division seemed to have frozen in time as they watched me as though Kurotsuchi-taicho had just done an experiment on me. I swore even the guy with that deep gash on his chest stopped bleeding when he heard me saying that I might be mentally ill.

Allow me to explain why I think I'm mad. It might not seem convincing now but I doubt it matters. The word is going to get out and I still think I'll end up here in the end. It's either I come here myself, or be carried here bleeding from a thousand wounds.

According to Unohana-taicho, witnessing distressing events can have adverse effects on mental health. She probably thought I didn't understand what 'mentally ill' means. For me personally, I've witnessed two incidents of the afore-mentioned category, and the third one came almost immediately.

Several days ago, being naïve and inno-, I mean idiotic, I burst into my brother's study thinking that something is amiss only to be traumatized thoroughly because he wasn't alone. With Renji in a rather compromising position and my brother claiming that he was reviving his suffocating Fukutaicho, it's hardly convincing. And with much trauma put into it, it's impossible to keep your thoughts straight while attending the Women Shinigami Association meetings.

Just yesterday I thought I was strong enough to brave danger and ventured home only to let curiosity get the better of me and peek into something more explicit, and in reverse. Of course naturally by instinct I ran, for I've always known that stealth mode and crisis management aren't my strongest modes.

The hiding place I chose was, to be honest, an absolute blooper on my part. The real world is out, because I needed permission, not to mention authorization to get there. Besides, it'll make it worse with Ichigo and Urahara being my only contacts there. Rukongai is a little too big, plus with the lack of other Reiatsu around, it'll be more than just easy to sniff me out. On instinct I ran towards the 13th division's training grounds.

If only I had thought of 12th Division's lab… that might be safer in such circumstances, now that I think about it…

I sat on the rock by the crater I used to train in to catch my breath. Naturally during times of peril, it is common for people to stop thinking about danger and focus on the big burning question of what exactly is going on.

My brother and Renji are very important people in my life; that is a fact. My brother used to be cold and emotionless, greatly because of the expectations placed upon him. Renji used to be very brash, always going around blathering like an idiot about how he wants to surpass my brother. When Byakuya-nii-sama adopted me, Renji seemed very upset, for reasons which I have come to question at this point of time. This changed drastically when he was being assigned into the 11th Division and then once again 6th Division's Fukutaicho. Then I thought it was just his goal to become stronger, maybe I was wrong. Nii-sama seemed to hate him at first, but then why let him stay in 6th Division if he really disliked Renji's attitude and demeanor?

Since when did their relationship evolved from enemies to co-workers… ok, that part I know. But when did they advance from superior and subordinate to… to… whatever I saw?

And exactly who is who in this relationship? Who's the… and… I mean, when I first saw them, Nii-sama was… but then just now… And who does Renji thinks he is? Obviously Nii-sama is the stronger of the two and… or maybe I really do not know Nii-sama that well… maybe he's secretly someone who likes…

…

… I think can taste my lunch from just now…

Yes and before I could even calm myself down once again from hyperventilating because of disconcerting images forming in my mind, I felt a familiar immense and pressurized reiatsu approaching.

Preparing for the worse, by worse meaning disowned by the Kuchiki house and shredded into a thousand pieces by Cherry Blossom petals, I watched my pristinely clothed brother walk calmly across the training field in the 13th Division. No one else seems to be with him. I would have expected the two 3rd Seats from my division running around in circles or even Ukitake-taicho trying to keep up with his pace and persuading him to return to the barracks. But no. No one else is with him, not even Renji, whose reiatsu has miraculously disappeared from my surveillance.

Deep down I knew I was going to die, but there's something about my brother that still manages to scare the hell out of me, especially when he looks calm.

Of course, at that moment I have two choices, either to keep running, or just stay put. For some reason, probably fear, my feet had decided to grow roots and ingrained themselves into the lovely grass which would soon be stained red. Most likely.

I kept my eyes fixed on the blade of grass near my toe as he approached, quite calmly.

"Rukia."

At times like this his voice is neither elegant nor sexy as the fan girls back in WSA would claim. It's downright menacing.

"Yes, Nii-sama?" my eyes are still fixed on the grass, faintly making out the little veins on the blade. I surprise myself sometimes…

"Come with me." He said quietly and brushed past me.

… eh? Isn't he here to kill me? Oh I get it; he wants to do it in a remote location so as not to bring shame or dishonor or whatever to the Kuchiki family's name.

He turned his head to look at me, an indication for me to follow with my legs intact, or be dragged away by the neck. I throttled after him, keeping a distance of at least 2 steps away, just in case.

My brother led me along the outskirts of the forest overlooking the training grounds that was still lit by whatever that's left of the evening sun. The usual evening breeze felt like the blistering winds before a storm, and his silence did nothing but burden the situation.

"Rukia." His voice came after a while. I stopped in my tracks just in time to avoid colliding with his back, which moments ago I saw Renji's hand snaking …

…

"Y- yes, Nii-sama?"

We are standing at the edge of the training fields, overlooking a section of Rukongai basked in the sunset. Lights are starting to come on in the houses below.

"I met your sister there, many years ago. I was ..."

There meaning Rukongai. I don't think it takes much intellect to come to that conclusion given that my sister is a commoner and would NEVER be seen wandering aimlessly near noble lands.

I'm sorry I'm lost, what was he saying? I surprise myself really, to remain that nonchalance in the face of danger that I can't register everything danger is telling me. Maybe when you overshoot your fear meter, you start switching off. Or perhaps it's the conceding of death?

"… and I love her very much. Even after she died…"

'Love', present tense. I am still not registering all his words. Wait, I've seen this situation before. Back in the 13th Division they once brought back a convict and he was so overcome with fear that it drove him to insanity. All he could do was to just pick out some words of what his captors were saying and sprouted absolute nonsense in response to that.

Oh, is that what this is? I'm going insane? Given that I think I'm no longer afraid of my brother's menace I very much think I am.

"I understand that you and Renji are very close friends."

This line I comprehend. No offense but we did live together for quite some time.

"… he has become an vital member of the 6th Division…"

Yes I can see that, but the question still lies with how the flip came about. And that leads to yet another question of what do they see in each other?

From Renji's point of view I think it's easy. My brother is noble, strong, and good-looking and everything else in the book of reference from any fan girl out there.

As for Byakuya-nii-sama… I can only say he might have a thing for commoners. No offense, but yeah.

Oh, and perhaps what they say is true. Opposites attract. Even more so for the extreme ends I feel.

"… he is a very kind man…"

Kind? I don't think anyone I've met has ever described Renji as 'kind'.

"… he has given me all these while, I realize that …"

Given you? Given you what? My brain is not functioning anymore for some reason, I can't tell if Nii-sama is stammering or I'm still not registering. I'm starting to get light-headed. Perhaps this is the transition from being sane to insanity.

"… I hope that you can accept this situation, and give us your…" He turns around to face me. Accept what? Give wha- wait. My vision is getting blurred, it seems like there're two Nii-samas in front of me now. Is he shunpo-ing to distract me?

"I am in …"

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><p>I think I must have fainted, because when I opened my eyes I'm lying in a futon in my room, still in one piece. Yes, it's my room, because there's a Chappy lying in the corner there.<p>

What happened exactly I can't really remember, I can only faintly make out taking a stroll outside the training grounds of the 13th Division, the sun setting beyond Rukongai, Nii-sama was there. The last thing I remembered him saying was…

Oh.

…

Oh really? I was under the impression that the two of them were fire and ice. Literately and figuratively. Yes I'm still a little fuzzy about how the flip came about and the whole bunch of questions.

But for my brother tell me that personally? No, that is absolutely absurd. For someone like him whose silence itself speaks volumes? Whose nobility weighs more than all the fortune the name Kuchiki entitles? Whose pride commands his actions? Those words will never come out of his mouth! Even if he did, he'll no doubt Senbonzakura me after that. Seeing I'm still here in one piece and not a drop of blood in sight, I dare say none of that happened.

I must have dreamt it. Yes, I must have, judging from the fact that I've just woken up in my own futon. I guess that entire trauma isn't doing me well given that I actually fainted and started hallucinating.

Better get myself checked.

So that was how I ended up at the 4th Division, just like the last time without thinking and requested to be checked into their mental ward. The division members fussed around me, someone taking temperature, a light was shone into my eyes suddenly, my arm was raised, my head tilted behind, a voice said I should be fine…

And for the second time in such a short morning, they froze dead still in their tracks. Someone dropped the flashlight, a shivering hand was removed from my arm… I followed their gaze behind me.

Standing there in the doorway of the reception was Byakuya-nii-sama.

With Renji.

And then the lights went out.

Again.

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><p>Hope you had a good laugh. Happy new year to all. Reviews are most welcomed; they are like Christmas presents, and Chinese New Year ang baos.<p> 


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